1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an automatic photograph vending machine which, for instance, is provided in an amusement facility such as a video arcade and automatically sells a photograph of a subject obtained by picking up an image of the subject with a digital camera and the like, and more specifically, to an automatic photograph vending machine that prints a photograph on a medium such as sticker paper, and thereafter, outputs and sells the medium. 2. Background Art
Conventionally, an automatic photograph sticker vending machine is known that automatically sells paper for stickers (hereinafter referred to as sticker paper) having printed on a surface a photograph obtained by image pickup mentioned above (hereinafter, referred to as a photograph sticker). The automatic photograph sticker vending machine is provided with a digital camera for picking up an image of a subject, an illuminating portion such as a stroboscopic lamp for illuminating the subject, a display portion for visibly displaying an image and various information, an input portion having a switch of various kinds such as a start button manipulated by a customer for starting image pickup, and a printing portion for printing onto sticker paper a photograph obtained by picking up an image of the subject with the digital camera. The above-described digital camera is incorporated inside a housing of the automatic photograph sticker vending machine.
According to the conventional automatic photograph sticker vending machine, an image of a subject can be picked up from various angles by setting the angles for image pickup of the digital camera to a direction from the front of the subject, a direction diagonally upward relative to the subject, and a direction diagonally downward relative to the subject; however, the image of the subject cannot be picked up from directly above. In addition, a digital camera to which cables are connected can be disposed at any given position of the housing of the automatic photograph sticker vending machine to pick up an image of the subject at any given angle. It is difficult, however, to provide the digital camera in a fixed manner directly above the housing so that it is impossible to pick up the image of the subject from directly above.
Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide an automatic photograph vending machine capable of picking up an image of a subject by looking down upon the subject from directly above.
An automatic photograph vending machine according to one aspect of the present invention is for selling a photograph of a subject and is provided with an image pickup portion for picking up an image of a subject in an image pickup region set as a space for image pickup to output image data of a subject image, and a printout portion for printing onto a medium a photograph of the subject according to the image data outputted from the image pickup portion, and thereafter, outputting the medium to the outside. The image pickup portion is provided at a ceiling portion of the image pickup region and a direction of image pickup corresponds to a direction of looking down upon the subject from directly above.
The above-described image pickup portion includes a digital camera, a digital video camera or the like. The printout portion may be formed by a monotone printer, a sepia tone printer, or a color printer. The image pickup region may be set as an image pickup space in which one person or a plural number of persons (subject or subjects) can assume a pose. The provision of the image pickup portion to the ceiling portion can be effected by disposing it buried in the ceiling portion, or by hanging it from the ceiling.
Since the above-described image pickup portion is provided such that the direction of image pickup corresponds to the direction of looking down upon the subject from directly above, for instance, by directing the lens (lens for image pickup) downward, and is provided at the ceiling portion of the image pickup region, a medium having printed thereon a photograph of an image picked up at an original angle can be sold to a customer.
Thus, a new image pickup experience can be provided to the customer (subject), and improvement in customer satisfaction can be achieved.
The above-described automatic photograph vending machine further includes an illuminating portion for illuminating a subject upward from below. The illuminating portion includes an illuminating lamp such as a fluorescent lamp and an incandescent lamp or a stroboscopic illuminating device. The illuminating portion is disposed at a floor portion or in a vicinity of the floor portion of the image pickup region. Thus, uniform quantity of light of illumination (illuminance) can be ensured regardless of the magnitude of the distance between the subject and the image pickup portion due to the difference in height of the subject and so on.
The above-described automatic photograph vending machine further includes in a vicinity of the image pickup portion a pose check portion for allowing a subject to check his/her own pose. The pose check portion can be formed by a mirror arranged at the ceiling portion or a monitor device that displays in real time a monitor image of image data outputted from the image pickup portion. Thus, since the customer (subject) can check his/her own pose using the pose check portion, it becomes easier for him/her to assume a desired pose.
The image pickup portion of the above-described automatic photograph vending machine may have a magnification adjustment function for adjusting a magnification of the subject image. Specifically, the image pickup portion includes a digital camera, a digital video camera or the like having a zoom function. Thus, it becomes possible to pick up an image by enlarging/reducing the image according to the magnitude of the distance between the subject and the image pickup portion due to the difference in height and so on. Consequently, it becomes possible to pick up an image with the face enlarged or with the subject image reduced in order to secure a greater area of background, which provides further satisfaction to the customer.
In addition, the pose check portion is formed by a monitor device for displaying a monitor image by enlarging/reducing the monitor image in real time. Thus, the customer (subject) can check his/her own size using the pose check portion so that the image pickup according to the desired size becomes easily possible.
The above-described automatic photograph vending machine may further include a display portion for displaying an image and necessary information (including a message of manipulating procedure), an input portion formed by an input device by a touch panel or an input device by a switch, and a control portion formed by a control device such as a CPU (abbreviation for central processing unit) for controlling each portion. The input portion is manipulated by the customer for inputting various information.
An automatic photograph vending machine according to another aspect of the present invention is for selling a photograph of a subject and is provided with an image pickup portion, an input portion, and a printout portion. The image pickup portion picks up an image of a subject in an image pickup region set as a space for image pickup to output image data of a subject image. The input portion is externally manipulated to input information. The printout portion prints onto a medium a photograph of the subject according to the image data outputted from the image pickup portion, and thereafter, outputs the medium to the outside. The image pickup portion has a first image pickup portion which is provided at a ceiling portion of the image pickup region and whose direction of image pickup corresponds to a direction of looking down upon the subject from directly above and a second image pickup portion which is provided at a side portion of the image pickup region and whose direction of image pickup corresponds to a direction different from the direction of looking down from directly above. One of the first image pickup portion and the second image pickup portion is activated based on the information inputted by the input portion.
Each of the first image pickup portion and the second image pickup portion includes a digital camera, a digital video camera or the like.
The activation of one of the first image pickup portion and the second image pickup portion based on the information inputted by the input portion means the customer manipulating the input portion to select a desired one of the first image pickup portion and the second image pickup portion and activating the selected one. Selective activation can be performed via a switching device such as a switching circuit.
Thus, an appropriate image pickup condition can be ensured with either the first image pickup portion or the second image pickup portion selectively activated, and the customer can choose a desired one of the image pickup by an angle other than from directly above and the image pickup by an angle from directly above.
The above-described automatic photograph vending machine may further include an illuminating portion having a first illumination state in which a subject is illuminated for image pickup by the first image pickup portion and a second illumination state in which the subject is illuminated for image pickup by the second image pickup portion and a switching portion. The switching portion activates one of the first image pickup portion and the second image pickup portion based on the information inputted by the input portion, and sets the illuminating portion to one of the first illumination state and the second illumination state. The illuminating portion includes an illuminating lamp such as a fluorescent lamp and an incandescent lamp or a stroboscopic illuminating device.
The selection by manipulation of the input portion means switching to one of a first manner using the first image pickup portion and the first illumination state and a second manner using the second image pickup portion and the second illumination state.
The above-described automatic photograph vending machine may further include a display portion for displaying an image and necessary information and a control portion for controlling each portion.
In the above-described automatic photograph vending machine, the illuminating portion may have a floor illuminating portion disposed at a floor portion or in a vicinity of the floor portion of the image pickup region and a side illuminating portion provided on a side portion of the image pickup region and may allow one of the first image pickup portion and the second image pickup portion as well as one of the floor illuminating portion and the side illuminating portion to be activated based on the information inputted by the input portion.
Thus, the selection by manipulation of the input portion means switching to a desired one of a manner using the first image pickup portion and the floor illuminating portion and a manner using the second image pickup portion and the side illuminating portion.
The above-described first image pickup portion may have a magnification adjustment (zoom) function for adjusting a magnification of a subject image, or the second image pickup portion may have the magnification adjustment function. The first image pickup portion and/or the second image pickup portion includes a digital camera, a digital video camera or the like, and both may each be provided with the zoom function. Consequently, it becomes possible to pick up a subject image by enlarging/reducing the image according to the magnitude of the distance between a subject and the image pickup portion due to the difference in height and so on. In addition, it becomes possible to pick up an image with the face enlarged or with the subject image reduced in order to secure a greater area of the background, which provides further satisfaction to the customer.
The above-described automatic photograph vending machine may further include a pose check portion for allowing a subject to check his/her own pose. The pose check portion is provided, one in the vicinity of the first image pickup portion and one in the vicinity of the second image pickup portion, respectively. The pose check portion may be formed by a mirror arranged at the ceiling portion or a monitor device that displays in real time a monitor image according to image data outputted from the image pickup portion.
Thus, since the customer (subject) can check his/her own pose using the pose check portion, it becomes easier for him/her to decide on a desired pose.
An automatic photograph vending method according to a further aspect of the present invention is for selling a photograph of a subject and includes an image pickup step and a printout step. In the image pickup step, an image of a subject in an image pickup region set as a space for image pickup is picked up with an image pickup portion prepared in advance, and image data of a subject image is outputted. In the printout step, a photograph of the subject according to the image data outputted by the image pickup step is printed onto a medium, and thereafter, the medium is outputted to the outside. The image pickup portion is provided at a ceiling portion of the image pickup region and a direction of image pickup corresponds to a direction of looking down upon the subject from directly above.
A medium for photograph printing according to a still further aspect of the present invention is a medium to have a photograph printed thereon or a medium having a photograph printed thereon by the above-described automatic photograph vending method.
A program storage medium according to an even further aspect of the present invention is a machine-readable storage medium that stores a program for having a computer execute the above-described automatic photograph vending method.
A program according to an even further aspect of the present invention is for having a computer execute the above-described automatic photograph vending method.